The WhiteWave Foods to form JV with China Mengniu Dairy

The WhiteWave Foods Company, a leading consumer packaged food and beverage business in North America and Europe, has announced (on 5 January) a joint venture agreement with China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited, a dairy manufacturer in China. The joint venture intends to manufacture, market and sell a range of nutritious products in China. The joint venture has also executed an agreement to purchase Yashili Zhengzhou, a subsidiary of Yashili International Holdings Ltd. Zhengzhou’s primary asset is a production facility currently under construction in China, where the joint venture intends to manufacture its products. Mengniu is the majority owner of Yashili.

Under the terms of the agreement, WhiteWave will own a 49% stake in the venture and Mengniu will own a 51% stake. The purchase price for Zhengzhou is expected to be approximately $85 million (RMB 510 million), including $62 million (RMB 377 million) for the purchase of equity and the balance for the repayment and assumption of debt and other obligations. Each joint venture party’s share of the purchase price for Zhengzhou will be consistent with its ownership interest in the venture. The parties expect to make additional investments to support the start-up and commercialisation of the joint venture, which is subject to various governmental approvals in China, and will be obtained in the first half of 2014. The acquisition of the production facility is subject to the formation of the joint venture and approval of the minority Yashili shareholders.

Related news: China Mengniu Dairy raises holding in raw milk supplier